Understanding the Difference between Organic and Chemical Fertilizers

2 Jul , 2015

Fertilizing is a very important process to grow gorgeous flowers or healthy and fresh vegetables. Just like human-being, the lawn needs nutrients to combat disease and thrive. The question now is what should you use to do so, but the answer is so simple, it would be fertilizers! However, with so many choices on the market, it can be confusing in terms of nutrients availability, short or long-term effect on plants or soil. Basically, fertilizers fall into two main categories of organic and chemical. We are going to help you understand the difference between both kinds of fertilizers so as to aid you in the process of finding the suitable one for your lawn.

Introduction to fertilizers

Most plants benefit from fertilizing, whether it is natural or synthetic origin, as fertilizers increase the amount of beneficial microorganisms which is essential to the growth of plants. Fertilizers can also be classified into quick-acting, slow-acting or controlled release of nutrients release, according to the need of your plant. It is applied to the soil or at the foliage of the plants and the purpose of fertilizer use is:

• To provide the soil nutrient supply and maintain soil fertility in order to satisfy the needs of your plant

• To compensate for the nutrients exported by the harvested vegetables or lost by inevitable leakages to the environment.

Organic fertilizer vs. Chemical fertilizer

Organic fertilizer simply means that the products are composed of natural materials like animal waste, bonemeal or powered minerals that are formed through decomposition, so that the nutrients within the fertilizer is bound to retain its most natural form. Organic fertilizers may need some time to age before you can feed your garden. They are usually slow-acting as it requires chemical and biological process to take place first within the soil.

Chemical fertilizers are manmade or mined, widely available and used. Processed fertilizers are refined from natural materials like petroleum products, rocks and even chemicals like potassium sulfate. Nutrients are made concentrated and bind them in fixed ratios to make them more available to all types of plants. They are mostly quick-acting since the nutrients are concentrated which are immediately available to your crops or lawns.

Read on to find out more differences between organic and chemical fertilizers!

Cost

Price of organic fertilizers has a wide range from cost free manure from a backyard cow or homemade compost like eggshells, leaves or coffee grounds to expensive ones such as bagged bone meal. Other than these, you can try making your own natural fertilizers by mixing lime and basil, as they do not require any special equipment. While chemical fertilizers generally cost lesser than packaged organic fertilizers according to per gram of nutrients in it.

Environmental footprints

Organic fertilizers are renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly. It does not build up harmful residues of salts and chemicals or cause pollution since it can be deadly to plants. In contrast to chemical fertilizers, chemical fertilizers tend to release many chemicals like cadmium and uranium into the soil which changes the soil pH, increase pests, contaminate your fruits and vegetables and even contaminate the land and bodies of water as these elements are not easily biodegradable.

Easy storage

One of the benefits of chemical fertilizer is that large amounts can be stored in small spaces. As chemical fertilizers are highly analyzed to produce the highest amount of nutrients desired, a bag of high-grade fertilizer can be made equivalent of a barn filled with compost. This is sure to save space and see good and immediate results in merely a few days.

Acid content

One of the main disadvantages of chemical fertilizers, unlike organic fertilizers, is that some chemical fertilizers have high acid content like sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. In most cases, the soil should be slightly acidic (around pH 6.5) for your plant to grow healthily. However, chemical fertilizers is often contaminated with these high acid content chemicals that can result in the destruction of nitrogen- fixing bacteria, therefore reducing the amount of nitrogen supplied to a growing plant. On the other hand, organic materials in organic fertilizers support the growth of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Exact ratio of nutrients

Due to the factory process used to make the fertilizer, it will be printed on the packaging about the standardized ratios and chemical source making it easy to check and understand. You can track the amount of nutrients you are giving your plants and lawn. Unlike for organic fertilizers, nutrients ratio are often unknown, and it can only be a guess with so many factors to consider such as the weather conditions, condition of soil and the age of the compost.

At the end of the day, it’s really up to you. If you are looking for quality fertilizers (organic or chemical) or plants in Brooklyn, contact us today and find out more.